France Trims $91.4M From Defense Budget

Dec. 13, 2013 - 01:04PM
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French soldiers patrol on a road in the Central African Republic. (Agence France-Presse)

PARIS — France’s lower house National Assembly adopted Dec. 13 a last minute amendment to trim €66.4 million (US $91.4 million) from the 2014 defense budget, member of parliament François Cornut-Gentille said.

Under the measure, equipment spending falls €11.5 million and €36.8 million from maintenance and support of equipment and property.

The amendment was tabled Friday morning for a debate and vote in the afternoon, a time when most parliamentarians are in home constituencies and there is little chance of debate, he said in a statement. The measure was adopted without debate.

Other ministries’ spending have also been cut as the government seeks to trim the national deficit.

The planned annual defense budget under the 2014-19 military budget law is €31.4 billion out to 2016.